help new construction tv and network wires?

I have tried to search this but there are so many variations of cables? cat5e or cat6e. There is a regular and a plenum. There are different colors. Does that mean anything? The prices range quite a bit too. I am confused.

Questions-What should I run to the TV. I was thinking one internet (which one)and one rg6? I see some places where multiple rg6 and network wires are run? Would I need this?

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I always run at least one more network cable than I think I'll need. Then just leave the extra cable in the wall behind a plate. It's a fairly cheap way to add some future-proofing in case you decide you want more at a later date.
You probably don't need multiple RG6 cables in one run unless you are planning on having multiple networks that use it. If you need two TVs, or a TV and a cable modem in one room then a splitter can usually be used.

The jacket colors don't mean much. You can buy all the variants in different colors. Some colors are more common in certain types but they aren't a standard.
There actually is a standard for how different colors of the same type are used, but hardly any one follows it.

Cat5 is old and probably not easy to find. Use cat5e or cat6.

Cat5e riser cable is probably just fine for regular home network use. You don't need plenum cable unless you are running it in a space that is also used to move air throughout the building. It has a jacket that doesn't create as much toxic fumes in a fire. Cat5e cable can be used for both data and phone networks, so just buy a big spool of it.

Cat6 can handle higher speeds and is generally a big improvement over cat5e, but it requires much more care and attention to detail during installation. Even minor damage or a sloppy install that you can't see could easily reduce it to cat5 speeds. Also, it costs more.

Go with the quad shield. In some cases a good quality dual shield can be as good (or even better) but quad shield is pretty much the standard. Quad is stiffer and usually more difficult to terminate properly, but not too big of a deal if you get the proper tools and connectors.

cat5 is all you will need. Believe it or not cat 6e is not even officially recognized by the TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)

The problem with "future proofing" electronics is that you can't. It changes too fast. If you want to waste your money trying then feel free but my guess is that by the time you actually need an extra cat cable the rest of the world will be on cat29 or something of that nature and that extra cat cable that you stuck in there will be old news.

Networking.... forget the 17 miles of cat5/6 with 5 or 6 runs to each room. All you need is one cat to each room that requires a network connection. Then use switches to divide up each room as necessary. Clean, easy, and cheap. Try to stick your router in a central location in the home so that you can get wireless reception all over the house.

Using switches in the manner described by Bob is pretty common in business environments and would probably work fine for most residential uses. It's also pretty easy and probably cheaper to just run an extra cable and leave it in the wall until you need it. Running two is as easy as running one and isn't going to cost much in a house. Switches work if you are putting everything on the same network. You could think of them like a cable splitter (although they do not "split" the signal). They won't work if you want to have multiple networks, such as a data network and a telecom network, or even two separate data networks. A network switch also needs a power source, so I'm not sure it really is a cleaner install to have switches in each room rather than in a central location.
Cat5e cable is also used for lots of things besides data networks. You may find it useful to have an extra cable in a room for some other purpose at some point.

They won't work if you want to have multiple networks, such as a data network and a telecom network, or even two separate data networks. A network switch also needs a power source, so I'm not sure it really is a cleaner install to have switches in each room rather than in a central location.
Cat5e cable is also used for lots of things besides data networks. You may find it useful to have an extra cable in a room for some other purpose at some point.

That depends on what the OP wants. Personally speaking I can't imagine what you would need a secondary network for. While it is true you need more than one cat for a multiple network set up, there is really no need for it. There are streamers out there (Dune, Mede8er, WDTV, Roku, Apple tv... and a bunch of others) that not only stream music, video and other such media from your network, but also tv from the net, youtube... blah blah blah. It's all combined into one. These devices are probably the best way of handling multiple sources of network data... and they only accept one network.

Now I will take that a step further... I do have these streamers on all my tv's and they work quite well. They connect of course to the web and to a personal 16TB network server for all of my music, movies, pics... etc, but I also enjoy a satellite source so I do have an extra cable run from a central pvr service in the basement from my satellite... but then on the other hand, it's not a cat run but rather a coax cable run.

One RG6 to where your modem will be located, and single cat5e's to each network location you think you might use.

The second RG6's will be used for off air to the TV's (nice to have when cable, or satellite service is down).

The second cat5e's will be there for a just in case (damage does, and can occur, so it's nice to have a back up plan).

FWIW: Quad shield serves no purpose unless you live directly under a high power line, or have a microwave tower in your yard. Cat6 will also not serve any purpose in a residential application, and it's doubtful you'll properly terminate it anyway.

So I have an office in the middle of my house where I was planning on putting the modem but now thinking maybe I should put it in the attic above. I don't know how you handle all the wires that need to get to the other rooms? Don't want a big hole in the ceiling for these?

Maybe I can do a splitter in the attic that feeds all my rooms including one rg6 to a wall plate in the office. Then I can connect from wall plate to feed the wireless modem in the office? Not sure if this makes sense but looking to do this smartly and neatly.

Besides the shielding....Cat6 is a slightly heavier gauge of wire, which means that you have less DC power losses if you try to do POE (Power Over Ethernet). In other words, power some Ethernet devices using just the Ethernet cable and not a separate power cable.

Don't fall for the "No reason to go wired, just do wireless" argument. Yes, wireless has come a long way. But....you're going to hit a brick wall pretty quick if you decide to stream video to 3 different TV's...and it's 3 different programs....and you're surfing DIY looking at some large pics while paying bills.

Wired Ethernet is pretty hard to 'snoop'.

With that said.....

I'm finishing up a 2-story addition....I have every room wired.

For TV....1 RG6 coax along with 2 Cat6 lines (HDMI extension) Then in some rooms I have a dedicated Ethernet port.

Go have a look at the tail end of my 2-Story Addition thread for some pics....link is in my signature.

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Even if you are on the right track, you will still get run over if you just sit there.

Boy I sure wouldn't count on wireless if I were building a house. Sure, my house from 1994 doesn't have wired ethernet, so I end up doing some wireless things. But I've pulled some wire too

I wouldn't sell wireless too short. Both hard wire and wireless systems have their pros/cons. A good home networking system will use both to their best advantage. Wireless is great for the smaller portable devices... the cell, the tablet... etc, while on the other hand hard wire is better for the security and the heavy, large file transferring and streaming. You will simply not have a very efficient or effective system without both methods of connecting.

NickTheGreat, I use a mix of wired & wireless. For Wireless, I have some devices that use Wireless B & G, so I have one access point set up just for those devices. Then I have another that is for Wireless-N.

The stuff I have wired is the DirecTV DVR (HR44), Blu-Ray player, and my son's PS3 when he is home from school. I have six wired jacks, but only currently just using three of them at this time.

So I have an office in the middle of my house where I was planning on putting the modem but now thinking maybe I should put it in the attic above. I don't know how you handle all the wires that need to get to the other rooms? Don't want a big hole in the ceiling for these?

Maybe I can do a splitter in the attic that feeds all my rooms including one rg6 to a wall plate in the office. Then I can connect from wall plate to feed the wireless modem in the office? Not sure if this makes sense but looking to do this smartly and neatly.

Do yourself a favor and put nothing up in the attic. Place all splitters and equipment in a utility room (ie Furnace/Water Heater space, or Laundry room).

I have all of my equipment located in our basement. The outside runs come in right where the equipment is. Makes it easier to work with making changes, or having to deal with replacing something.

Attics can get up to 112 in the Summer, with around 21% relative humidity. You soon find out that it just sucks being up there. Also a bad environment for equipment.

My basement stays around 66-69 deg's Fahrenheit in the Summer. Depending if the air is on or not. Humidity stays around 48-55% all of the time. Electronics like cool air and not too dry, not too high of humidity.

I have a picture in the Network sub-forum of my setup. It gives you an idea of how to do yours.

I updated my network setup, with a lot better picture showing the Ethernet runs, how they come to the six port keystone plate. The post is at Updated Network setup

Personally having a mix of hard-wired and Wireless, gives you more capabilities when it comes to not having to be tethered to the network. My Wireless-N runs at 300mb/s. I have 1000mb/s for the LAN through the Router & switch.